Tokidoki, Tokki no Toki
by Intoxicated Gnu
Summary: One day, Tokiya swore his roommates were going to give him a hernia.


Title: Sometimes, Tokki's Time (or Tokki Toki, describing Toki(ya) as being Tokki). Puns.  
Tokki is what Reiji nicknamed Tokiya.

"Tokki!"

Tokiya halted in his steps, a slight tremor running up his body. "_What did you just call me?_" he hissed, baring his teeth like an angry wolf.

"Ah- S-Sorry!" Otoya stuck his hands in the air. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "I just - Rei-chan must have rubbed off on me. I won't do it again!"

Cold blue eyes remained on him long enough to deliver a clear warning. _That Kotobuki..._ It was bad enough he was constantly surrounded by two energetic jumpy individuals such as his roommates. Constantly pestering him, laughing with their too-big grins. One day, Tokiya swore his roommates were going to give him a hernia or a mental breakdown. Who caused which depended on the day.

"S-s-s-so we're having lunch together," Otoya said with a shaky smile, his face five shades of red - mostly in terror. "R-right?"

Tokiya flashed him one last dark glance before he turned and started walking. _Jeez_, he thought, _this is why I go out to eat_. Otoya had said lunch was lonely when he always went out - more importantly, he'd said Reiji was busy and wouldn't be there - so he had politely accepted the invitation. Despite Reiji being gone, his presence still lingered in the eternally tainted roommate dynamic they all shared. Tokiya would even go so far as to call them both his friends, but that didn't mean he _liked _them. Otoya's too-nice-to-want-to-kill aura and Reiji's manly housewife complex got on his nerves.

Otoya heaved a sigh of relief and followed him.

Lunch options were already laid out, so Tokiya didn't put too much thought into just taking the box with the most attractive looking blue color. Despite Shining Saotome being a crazy saboteur, he generally managed to get pretty healthy lunch options - it was an idol school, after all. Tokiya waited in silence for Otoya to choose his lunch ("_This one reminds me of that time we went to the fair_!") so that they could sit together as promised.

Otoya ripped the lid off his box in a second flat. "Itadakimasu!"

Tokiya sat his box down with care. Delicate fingers pulled the first tab of the light handkerchief surrounding his box. He coughed as a cloud of glitter and confetti hit his face. Blood boiling and an uncomfortable hitch in his jaw, Tokiya wiped his arm across his face and picked up the note hanging on the now-open lunch box.

_Ta-da! You'll never guess WHO!  
Congrats on your new single, Tokki!  
It's spectacular as expected from my precious kouhai~  
So I have generously decided to reward you with my  
Extra-Special Magical Kotobuki Bentou, BBQ!_

_Eat slowly!_

_-Rei-chan_

Tokiya's teeth clenched in rage. _That Kotobuki!_ The gesture would have been appreciated if not for the fact that that guy always had to mess up his clothes, ruin his hair, and try to fatten him up. He was covered in so much glitter, he could get a second job as a disco ball. _Purple _glitter.

Otoya salivated at the sight of the extra-fancy lunch. "Wow, Tokiya! That looks good! Lucky!" A wide grin spread across his face as he imagined the taste, ignorant to the muscle-clenching rage that was building up beside him.

"Excuse me," a staff member said behind them, the man shaking in his boots a little and glad he wasn't there for Tokiya. "May I speak with Ittoki-san for a moment?"

"Okay!" Otoya repackaged his lunch to take with him. A moment could easily mean a couple of hours. "Sorry, Tokiya. We'll have lunch again, okay?" he said, flashing a bright smile as he hurried to leave.

Tokiya hadn't heard a word of it.

_Ittoki-san._

_Ittoki._

_Ttoki._

_Tokki!_

Tokiya slammed the lid onto his box. He took a moment to catch a breathe, stood, and walked straight to his room. The halls were cold and empty. Finally, he could relax. He kept at a steady pace and didn't stop for anything until he reached the door to his room. When he did, he flung it open with impatience to get to his lunch.

"Ooh! It's Tokki!" Reiji stood and rushed to the door with an excited grin. "Perfect timing!"

Tokiya's mouth twitched in horror. "K-Kotobuki-senpai, I thought you had plans today?"

Reiji chuckled sheepishly. "I'm running a little late, but now that you're here, you can help me." He grabbed Tokiya's hand - without permission as usual - and dragged him over to his bed. "Otoyan and I went shopping yesterday, and I can't pick which vest to wear for my TV appearance." In each hand, Reiji held up a black vest. They were identical, only one was decorated with gold accents and one with silver.

_You've got to be kidding me. _But he knew that wasn't the case. Shifting in discomfort, Tokiya stared at the lunch box. "Uh, I think... whichever you like best." The accents were tacky either way, he thought. "By the way, thank you for the lunch." He didn't have the nerve to curse the man out for ruining his lunch hour. Reiji probably had good intentions and everything. Maybe. Well, Otoya would say so.

To Tokiya's alarm, Reiji dropped the vests with a dramatic gasp, sparkling eyes turning toward him. "Tokki!" the man's watery voice muttered. "You loved it? I'm so touched!" He threw himself on his back, his upper half hanging off the bed. He grabbed Tokiya's hand in both of his with his now-upside-down innocent pools of kindness. "I'll never forget this, Tokki!" he cried, his voice raising in volume towards the end.

Tokiya recoiled, jerking his hand back. He stared at the twenty-five year old man playing five, his mind straining to gain order. It didn't; he ran.

Reiji blinked at the spot that had previously contained his roommate. "Hmm?" he thought, raising his eyebrow. "What's his problem?" Hauling himself back up, he went back to the issue at hand: choosing a vest.

There was one last sacred place where Tokiya could be alone and get some air. Tired feet dragged against soft grass with a lighter feeling. He walked to his special spot, his favorite bench. He didn't mind the ducks in the pond, didn't mind the leaves flying into his hair and his food; he just wanted to be alone.

He wasn't.

Tokiya held back the noise of surprise in his throat and sat, because he was already there. "Hijirikawa," he muttered quietly with a nod in the other's direction.

Masato, too, held back his surprise, although his eyes widened a little for just a fraction of a moment. "Ichinose," he acknowledged with a small nod in return.

Tokiya was relieved at hearing something other than that _horrible thing _that was haunting him.

The two sat in silence until Tokiya spoke up. "You need a break too?"

Masato sighed, closing his eyes as stress furrowed his eyebrows together. "Yes. Ren bought me a shirt that doesn't button closed." The _nerve_; he had even said he couldn't return it. "He said it would make me more popular."

Tokiya nodded in understanding. Finally, a soul who could understand how he felt. "My condolences," he said. Feeling his shoulders begin to unwind, Tokiya unpacked his lunch.

Blue eyes turned towards the unexpected visitor. "They are very much appreciated, and returned."

"Thank you," Tokiya responded, his attention leaving his lunch for a second.

Tokiya ate. Masato watched him eat. Side by side. Comfortable silence.

It was nice.


End file.
